Return-chute for pool-tables.



J. G. LOBSTEIN, JE- RETURN 0mm: FOR POOL TABLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1912.

1,05%,780. Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J. G. LOBSTBIN, JR. RETURN GHUTE FOB. POOL TABLES. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 14, 1912.

Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

2 SHEBTE-BHEHT 2.

, always prevented cloggin v have had other objectionable features, all of I D sra'res FA orrro JOHN G; LOBSTEIN, TR, 01, CHICAGQ,'ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 PASSOW & SONS, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A GORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

RETURN-GHUTE ron POOL-TABLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedMar. a, 1913.

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN G. LOBSTEIN, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Return; Chutes for'Pool- Tables, of which the following is a specification.'

My invention relates to return chutes for pool tables in which the balls are shot into the pockets of the table and pass down into chutes which conduct them into a basket or large receptacle beneath and at the foot of th'e'table; and among the objects of my improvements are, first, to provide a lighter or less bulky construction of chute than heretofore; second, to provide brackets for the chute tracks suitably disposed to support the tracks and to direct the balls to the chute tracks as they pass from the pocketshoe; third, to provide a guard rail in connection with the chute tracks for retaining the bounding balls 'upon the chute tracks; fourth, to dispose of the chutes along at the two sides and foot end of the table and within the inclosure formed by the union of the side and end pieces of the table frame; fifth, to make a cheap, simple, durable and effective device and to improve other features as'will become apparent from the description to follow.

I am aware that ball returning chutes for pool or similar tables as heretofore made have required considerable and careful construction work beneath the table top; havebeen complicated, and expensive; have not of the balls, and

which are eliminated by the use, of my invention, which consists in providing chutes of solid rubber rods or cords mounted on the two sides pieces and one end piece of the frame of the table by means of suitable brackets spaced apart as desired.

To describe my invention so that others versed in the art to which it pertains can make and use the same I have illustrated it on the accompanying two'sheets of drawings forming a part of this specification in which2-- Figure l is a plan view of a pool table having my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is .a plan section of the same taken on a horizontal line just below the top board of the table frame; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a vertlcal sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of a detached part; Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail, sectional view showing one of the brackets employed to support the chute tracks, and, Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail perspective view partly broken away showing -'the construction of the chute track and the manner of its connection to the brackets. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail of the foot piece of the table frame at itsmid length showing an interior view in elevation as seen when looking toward the foot piece at the junction of the terminal points of the chutes therewith.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The table is com osed of the usual rectangular frame A, t e top A, cushion rails A and legs A, and is provided with the usual-corner pockets B and side pockets B The pockets are provided with the usual leather covered pocket irons C and the molded leather shoes G.

The ball chutes comprise two bottom tracks a. a, and the side or guard rails a The tracks a a and rail a extend and incline downward from the corners D at the head end of the table along theinner side of the side frames A to the opposite corners I) where they turn at right angles and thence extend in parallel relation to the foot end of the table, terminating atand communicating with the higher end of the U-shaped trough E which is rigidly secured to the under side of the foot end of the table. That part of the trough E corresponding to the bottom of the U lies in a lower horizontal plane than the other part so that any balls deliveredat the high ends of said trough E will by force of gravity roll to the middle or lower end of'the same, Where said trough E or cord, cylindrical in cross section, which nails or brads as indicated in Fig. 7

The surface of the frame piece A at-(JI. serves as a guard for the ball along the opposite side of the chute from the guard rail a, so that the ball H is prevented from rolling off of the tracks a a at either side of the "chute.-

The pocket-shoe G, as shown in Fig. 5, is composed .of stiff leather molded or pressed into proper'shape having an open end 9 which is laced-over the tracks a a at the. headof t e table as shown at D in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, and its upper end 9 is connected with the. depending leather of the pocket iron in a well known manner; so that theball rolling from the table passes into the pocket-shoe and thence on down upon the tracks a a. I, The tracks a'a. and rail almay be secured in their proper positions by 'any suitable means, but I prefer to employa plurality'of brackets F secured to the inner sides of the frame A of the table, and of the proper shape as seen at the right hand side in Fig. 4, to support the tracks a a and the guard rail a 'in parallelrelati'on to the surface a?v of the frame piece A.

At the side pockets B the brackets are formed as seen at F (Fig. 6), with 'anupward extension provided with the semi-circular pocket guard f, which preferably 'extends to the frame piece A at either side of the pocket and is securely fastened by screws or otherwise-for the purpose of adding rigidity to the structure. l

A cushion f of felt or other suitable material is secured to the bracket F directly opposite the ocket-shoe G to take the impact of the ba 1 rolling from the pocket-shoe G, and a similar cushlon f is securedto the frame A just below the level of the open end of the pocket-shoe G to take the impact'of any balls which may rebound'after striking the cushion f At the corner pockets B at the foot end,

of the table the brackets F are provided at their u per end with a straight cross piece f whic has its extremities rigidly secured to the side and endpieces of frame A. The brackets F and the adjacent arts of the frame A are provided with cus ions f and f similar to those described in connection with brackets F a At the corner pockets B at the head end of'the table no brackets are required since the chute tracks are elevated sufliciently to have the guard rail a at a level with'the open end of the pocket-shoe G,-and'said rail al takes the impact of the ball rolling from the shoe G. If found necessary a bracket 'ber of balls becoming clogged at any pocket along the line of travel in the chute because the balls enter the chute from above and not from one side. The arts f on brackets F and parts f? on brac ets F 2 area suificient distance above the chutes to permit a ball Having thus Letters-Patent of the United States, is

H on tracks a a to clear the parts f and f as shown. in 6. v

ully describedmy invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by 1. In a: device of the class described, a

ballchute' consistingof a pair of parallel rails arranged adjacent to one side and one end oft-he tablewithin the inclosure formed by the side and end pieces of the table frame and parallel therewith, open-ended pocket shoes extended through openings in the table. frame .and presenting their open ends toward the chute rails and means arranged opposite to the pocket shoes for preventing the balls from crossing said rails.

2. Inga device of the class described, a ball chute consisting of a pair of rubber track rails arranged adjacent to and parallel with the sides and. foot end of the table frame within theinclosure formed by the side and end pieces thereof and inclined downwardly along the sides and to the midlength of said foot end of the table frame,

open-ended pocket-shoes extended through the frame side and end pieces, and present ing their open ends within the interior ofthe table'frame above and in a direction toward said track "rails, and guide rails arranged above the track rails and parallel therewith on the opposite side thereof from the pocket-shoes.

3. In a device of the class described, a ball chute comprising open-ended pocketshoes G extende from the pockets inwardly through the side andend rails of the table frame and 1presenting their 0 en ends within the. inc osur'e 'of the tab e framejtwo track rails arranged adjacent to and parallel with one side and-one end of the table frame below the ocket-shoes the distance of the track rails f om the frame being such as to afford clearance therewith ofthe balls when rolling on the tracks.

4. In a'device of the class described, a U- shaped ball receiving-trough arranged on an incline .below one end of a table and'provided with a ball discharge opening at its lower end, a gate to normally close said discharge opening, means to operate'the gate and a ball chute comprising two solid rubber parallel tracks arranged adjacent to either side of the table terminating at and communicating with said ball receiving trough.

5. In a device of the. classdescribed, a ball chute arranged adjacent to the side frame of the table a short distance below a pocket discharge opening, and a suitable supporting bracket for the chute secured to the table frame at the pocket discharge opening provided with an upward extension arranged directly opposite the pocket discharge opening to take the impact of the ball rolling from the said pocket discharge opening.

6. In a device of the class described, a ball chute comprising two solid rubber parallel tracks arranged adjacent to the side ,''frame of the table so that the table frame serves as a guard along one side of said ball chute, the ball chute arranged a short distance below a pocket discharge 0 ening and a suitable supporting bracket or the chute secured to the table frame at or near the pocket discharge opening provi'ledrwith an upward extension arranged dil ectly opposite the pocket discharge opening to take the impact of the ball passing from said pocket discharge opening.

7. In a device of the class described, a U- shaped trough arranged on an incline provided with a ball discharge opening 10- "cated at -a' point corresponding to thebot- --tom of the U 8. In a device of the class described, the track rails'consisting of a solid rubber bar or cord cylindrical in cross section in combination with a continuous narrow strip ofthe brackets and having its adjacent parts.

turned up to-form a longitudinal channel a with its extreme edges 0 crimped toward each other and embedded in the rubber cord on opposite sides and at or below the level of its axis.

9. In' a device of the class/described, a.

ball chute comprising a series of open-ended pocket-shoes G extended through the. side and end pieces of the table-frame, two parturn-ways comprising ball tracks a a placed 1 within the inclosure of the table frame, one

portion of said tracks extended parallel with the side pieces and inclined downward the combinatlon with a table frame of rea from the head of the-table to the footpiece, I

and another portion of said tracks extended parallel with. the foot piece and inclined downward from the side pieces to amedian line dividing the table frame lengthwise, and a U-shaped trough adaptedto receive the balls from the return-ways.f

11. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with'a table frame of return chutes comprising two tracks a a' and aguard rail a and suitable brackets mounted on the table frame to support the'said tracks we and guard rail (1 in parallel relation with the table frame piece-so that the table frame piece serves as. a guard for the balls along the side of the chute opposite the guard rail-a 7 JOHN G. LOBSTEIN, JR.

Witnesses:

ROBERT VAN SANDS, MYRTLE SANDERSON. 

